Samsung is “throwing its hat into the Olympics advertising ring with a web-only video” starring MLS Galaxy MF David Beckham to promote its new Galaxy Note smartphone, according to Shareen Pathak of AD AGE. The video, created by Cheil USA, sees Beckham “walk onto a ‘set’ with a wall of drums and a bunch of soccer balls.” A director on the smartphone “sketches out which drums and in what order he wants Beckham to shoot." Beckham kicks the soccer balls to create “a cacophony of noises that eventually end up being a drum-version of 'Ode to Joy.'” Samsung Senior VP & Head of Global Marketing Younghee Lee said, "We wanted to cut through the glut of Olympic ad clutter." Pathak reported the video will be “released in multiple online venues,” including on Beckham's Facebook fan page. The idea initially was to have Beckham “paint the Olympic rings with his perfectly-placed kicks," but that would be "too messy." Cheil decided to “go with sound,” and “Ode to Joy” was chosen because “the symphony has plenty of ties with the games, having been used for multiple opening ceremonies and commercials associated with the games” (ADAGE.com, 5/22).

GET YOUR SPRINT ON: MARKETING magazine’s Matthew Chapman reported Microsoft is “aiming to capitalise on summer sporting events such as the Olympics and Euro 2012 with a marketing campaign for its Xbox console featuring Chelsea footballers and a mass-participation 100 metre sprint.” The “Summer of Sports” campaign, run “in partnership with the Right To Play charity, will focus on an attempt to secure the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest simultaneous 100 metre sprint” on either June 16 or 17. A series of ads “on platforms including Xbox Live and MSN will encourage consumers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to take part.” The push will also “include videos starring Champions League-winning Chelsea stars Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Petr Cech and Fernando Torres” (MARKETINGMAGAZINE.co.uk, 5/22).